Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method of operating a resource allocation management device, the method comprising: receiving, from a first wireless base station, first user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said first wireless base station; estimating, based on the received first UE information, a first wireless base station coverage area; making a first resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area, said first resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station; prior to estimating the first wireless base station coverage area, identifying the UE with the largest timing advance in communication with the first wireless base station; and determining if the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided in said first UE information.
This invention relates to wireless communication systems, specifically resource allocation management for wireless base stations. The problem addressed is optimizing resource allocation to base stations based on real-time user equipment (UE) conditions, such as timing advance and power headroom, to improve network efficiency and coverage. The method involves a resource allocation management device that receives UE information from a first wireless base station, including timing advance and power headroom data for UEs connected to that base station. The device estimates the base station's coverage area using this information. It then allocates resources, such as frequency bandwidth or transmission power, to the base station based on the estimated coverage area. Before estimating coverage, the device identifies the UE with the largest timing advance (indicating the farthest distance from the base station) and checks if this UE also has the lowest power headroom (indicating limited transmission capacity). This analysis helps determine optimal resource allocation to balance coverage and capacity. The method ensures that UEs at the edge of coverage receive appropriate resources while maintaining network efficiency.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein estimating, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the identified UE having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, using the timing advance of the UE with the largest timing advance to estimate the first wireless base station coverage area.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein estimating, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the identified UE having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, taking into consideration the lowest power headroom information, in addition to the largest timing advance, when determining the first wireless base station coverage area.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first UE information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with the first wireless base station includes information corresponding to multiple UEs, the method further comprising: in response to determining the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance does not also have the lowest power headroom, processing the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein processing the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station includes performing at least one of determining an average timing advance for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station or determining an average power headroom for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein timing advances (TAs) of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station having a timing advance (TA) within a determined range of the average timing advance are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein power headroom values of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station that have a power headroom within a determined range of the average power headroom, and which also have a TA within the determined range of the average TA, are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station; estimating, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and making a second resource allocation to the second wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the second wireless base station.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: receiving, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station; estimating, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and making a second resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: communicating the first resource allocation to the first wireless base station.
A wireless communication system allocates resources to base stations to manage network traffic efficiently. The system includes a central controller that determines a first resource allocation for a first wireless base station based on network conditions, such as traffic load, interference levels, or quality of service requirements. The central controller then communicates this resource allocation to the first wireless base station, enabling it to adjust its operations accordingly. The resource allocation may involve assigning specific frequency bands, time slots, or power levels to optimize performance. This method ensures dynamic and adaptive resource management, improving overall network efficiency and user experience. The system may also involve coordinating resource allocations across multiple base stations to minimize interference and maximize spectral efficiency. By dynamically adjusting resource allocations in response to changing network conditions, the system enhances reliability and capacity in wireless networks.
11. A resource allocation management device comprising: memory; an input/output interface including at least one receiver and at least one transmitter; one or more processors that control the resource allocation management device to: receive, from a first wireless base station, first user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said first wireless base station; estimate, based on the received first UE information, a first wireless base station coverage area; make a first resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area, said first resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station; wherein said one or more processors control the resource allocation management device to: prior to estimating the first wireless base station coverage area, identify the UE with the largest timing advance in communication with the first wireless base station; and determine if the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided in said first UE information.
12. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein said to estimate, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, using the timing advance of the UE with the largest timing advance to estimate the first wireless base station coverage area.
13. The resource allocation management device of claim 12 , wherein said to estimate, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, taking into consideration the lowest power headroom information, in addition to the largest timing advance, when determining the first wireless base station coverage area.
14. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein the first UE information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with the first wireless base station includes information corresponding to multiple UEs; wherein said one or more processors control the resource allocation management device to process the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station in response to determining the UE in communications with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance does not also have the lowest power headroom.
15. The resource allocation management device of claim 14 , wherein said processing the first UE information received from the first wireless base station corresponding to multiple UEs to determine at least one of a timing advance or power headroom value to be used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station includes performing at least one of determining an average timing advance for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station or determining an average power headroom for UEs in communication with the first wireless base station.
16. The resource allocation management device of claim 15 , wherein timing advances of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station having a timing advance (TA) within a determined range of the average timing advance are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.
17. The resource allocation management device of claim 16 , wherein power headroom values of UEs in communication with the first wireless base station that have a power headroom within a determined range of the average power headroom, and which also have a timing advance within the determined range of the average timing advance, are used in determining the coverage area of the first wireless base station.
18. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein said one or more processors controls the resource allocation management device to: receive, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station; estimate, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and make a second resource allocation to the second wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the second wireless base station.
19. The resource allocation management device of claim 11 , wherein said one or more processors controls the resource allocation management device to: receive, from a second wireless base station, second user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said second wireless base station; estimate, based on the received second UE information, a second wireless base station coverage area; and make a second resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area and the estimated second wireless base station coverage area, said second resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station.
20. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a first set of computer executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a resource allocation management device cause the resource allocation management device to perform the steps of: receiving, from a first wireless base station, first user equipment (UE) information including at least one of timing advance or power headroom information for one or more UEs in communication with said first wireless base station; estimating, based on the received first UE information, a first wireless base station coverage area; and making a first resource allocation to the first wireless base station based on the estimated first wireless base station coverage area, said first resource allocation including an allocation of at least one of a frequency bandwidth allocation or transmission power allocation to the first wireless base station; wherein estimating, based on the received first UE information, the first wireless base station coverage area includes, when the first UE information includes information that a UE in communication with the first wireless base station having the largest timing advance also has the lowest power headroom of the UEs for which power headroom information is provided, using the timing advance of the UE with the largest timing advance to estimate the first wireless base station coverage area.
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February 2, 2021
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